Automatic shut-off gas valve



May 30, 1933. v H. o. STOUT 1,911,590

AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF GAS VALVE Filed Feb. 2, 1932 3x INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED stares ar ssa rA ENr Price HOWARD 0. STOUT, OF BLACKWELL, OKLAHOMA AUTOMATIC snU'r-orr ens VALVE Application filed February 2, 1932. Serial No. 590,435.

This invention relates to shut-off valves.

19 gas line below a predetermined degree.

Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic valve of this kind which is so constructed as to prevent the opening of the valve until the gas pressure has re- 15 turned to normal or to a predetermined deree.

*3 The above and various other ob ects and advantages of th1s inventlon Wlll in part be described in and in part be understood 20 from the following detailed description of ignates an upper or complementary portion of the diaphragm casing or housing, these complementary portions 16 and 16' being secured together by means-of securing elements in the form of bolts or threaded members 20.

A valve housing 17 is secured to the lower casing member'l6 and is provided with an intake port 12 and an outlet port 13. This valve housing 17 is also provided with a port 10 communicating with the pressure chamber of the diaphragm housing, this pressure chamber being disposed below a diaphragm 1 secured between the upper and lower housing member 16 and 16, respectively. This diaphragm 1 is of fiexibleconstruction and is provided with a centrally disposed stem 2 which extends downwardly through an opening 18 provided in the lower casing 16 andin the valve housing 17 and the lower end of this stem 2 projects into the interior of the valve housing 17.

A valve heador member 4 is secured to a rock lever 3 mounted on a pivot 5 and is adapted to engage a valve seat 8 to close the outlet or discharge port 13. This rock lever or valve operating member 3 has'the free end" thereof or the end oppositely from the valve head 4 disposedinthe path of the stem 2 and the upward swinging movement of this lever 3 is controlled'by an adjustable stop member 9 threadably mounted in the housing 17.

The valve lever 3 has attached thereto a pairof springs 6 and 7 one end ofthese springs being attached to the lever3 and the opposite ends being attached to the housing 17, the point of attachment of the springs 6 and 7 to the housing 17 beingslightly above the pivotl5 so that when the lever 3 is swung into a position to hold the valve head 4 inopen position, thesesprings 6 and 7 will constantly maintain thev'alve head in open position, being disposed above the axis of the pivot5. However, when the lever operating stem 2 moves downwardly and strikes the lever 3 so as to swing this lever intoclosed position, the force of the stem 2 will swing this'leverdo'wnwardly until the springs 6 and 7 pass below the pivot 5 whereupon the tension ofthe-springs 6 and 7 will automatically swing the leverv 3 so as to carry the head 4 into contact with the valve seat 8 and thereby close the discharge port. The upper diaphragm casing member 16' is provided with a port 11' communicating with the atmosphere so that the atmospheric pressure will operate .on the upper surface of the diaphragm 1. v

A cam member 14 is pivotally mounted as at 19 to the housing 17 and this ,pivot 19 is extended outwardly of the housing and provided with an operating means for rocking the cam member 14 in an upward direction for contact with the lever 3 so as to swing this lever 3 into open position against the action of the springs 6 and 7. The free end of this cam member 1& has

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secured thereto a spring 15, the opposite end of the spring 15 being attached to the housing 17 so as to constantly urge this cam member 14 into inoperative position and out of engagement with the lever 3.

In the operation of this device, the intake port 12 is connected to a source of gas supply under pressure and the port 13 may be connected to a gas appliance. The weight of the stem with its attaching means forattaching the stem to the diaphragm 1 is such that the normal pressure of the gas entering the housing 17 will maintain this stem in its uppermost or inoperative position against the atmospheric pressure entering through the .port 11. In this position, the lever 3 may be maintained in a substantially horizontal position by the springs 6 and 7 which will be disposed above the axis of the pivot 15. In this position alsothe free end gf the lever 3 contacts'with the stop memer 9. f

When the gas pressure in the interior of the housing 17 falls below a predetermined degree, the diaphragm 1 will drop down-.

wardly under the weight of the stem 2 and under the action of the atmospheric pressure on the upper surface of the diaphragm 1. The lower end of the stem 2 will strike the free end of the lever 3 and force this lever to rock out of the horizontal position and after the springs 6 and 7 have passed below the pivot 3, the tension thereof "will automatically swing the head 4 into contact with the valve seat 8 and thereby close the discharge port 13. This valve 4 will be maintained in closed position until the cam member 14 has been swung so as to engage the lever 3 and swing'this lever 3 into a horito its closed position under the gravitating zontal position.

In the event the gas pressure has not returned to normal, the valve will be returned act-ion of the lever operating member 2 and in this manner the valve'cannot be accidently opened until the gas pressure has returned to normal. The stop member 9 can be appropriately adjusted so that only a slight pressure or movement of the lever operating member 2 will effect swinging of this lever into open position. The diaphragm 1 may be constructed of any desired material and is preferably made of material which is very flexible but which is impervious to the action ofthe gas within the housing 17.

Itis, of course. understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims. r

What is claimed is 1. An automatically operated valve as setforth comprising a housing having an intake and an outlet port, a valve for closing one of said ports, a valve seat for said valve, a rock lever connected at one end to said valve, means engaging the lever intermediate its ends for rockably mounting the lever in the housing, means engaging the opposite end of the lever to limit the swinging movement thereof into open position, gravity actuated pressure controlled means engaging said opposite end of the lever to partially swing the lever into closed position, and yieldable means engaging the housing and the lever to swing the lever into completely closed position.

2. An automatically operated valve as set forth comprisinga housing having an intake and an outlet port, a valve for one of said ports, a valve seat for'said valve, a rock lever connected at one end to said valve, means engaging the lever intermediate its ends to rockably mount the lever in the housing, adjustable stop means carried by the housing and engaging the opposite end of the lever to limit the swinging movement thereof into open position, a diaphragm supported by the housing, means carried by the diaphragm and engaging the opposite end of the lever to partially swing the lever into closed position, and yieldable means engaging the lever and the housing to completely swing the lever into closed position.

3. An automatically operated valve as set forth comprising a housing having an intake and an outlet port, a valve for closing one of the ports, a valve seat for the valve, a rock lever secured at one end to said valve, means for rockably mounting the lever in the housing, stop means carried by the housing and engaging the opposite end of'the lever to limit the swinging thereof into open position, a diaphragm supported by the housing, a lever engaging member carried by the diaphragm and projecting into the housing in the path of the opposite end of the lever to swing the lever into partially closed position upon decrease in the pressure within the housing, springs engaging the housing and the opposite end of the lever to completely swing the lever into closed position, and manually operable means carried by the housing and having a portion thereof projecting outwardlyofthe housing to manually swing the lever into open position.

4. An automatically operated valve comprising a valve housing having an intake and an outlet port, a valve for closing one of the ports, a valve seat for said valve, a rock lever connected at one end to the valve, means engaging the lever intermediate its ends to rockably mount the lever in the housing, stop means engaging the opposite end'of the lever to limit the swinging movement thereof into open position, a diaphragm housing secured to said first housing, a diaphragm within the housing, said first housing and said diaphragm housing having a connecting port to permit the pressure in the first housing to flex the diaphragm, a lever operating member carried by the diaphragm and engaging one end of the lever to partially swing the lever into partly closed position, yieldable means engaging the lever to completely swing the lever into closed position, and manually operable means having a portion thereof disposed within the housing and a portion without the housing to manually swing the valve into opened position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature.

HOWARD O. STOUT. 

